Of Elves and Witchers
by AwesomeDragons
Summary: "You know this is all your fault? All of this-" She waved her hand from the elf to her and back "this going back and forth and being friends but not friends, it's your fault. No! You won't get to interrupt me again!" / Avallac'h viewed Ciri trough Lara, but what did Ciri think of him? From the books to the games - and beyond. Avallac'h x Ciri


_So. It begins again._

_You have no idea how long I've wanted to write this. Write the whole thing again, but in Ciri's prospect._

_If the story of it's not forgetting tells about Avallac'h trying to get over his love / obsession for Lara and falling for Ciri, this tells the tale of Ciri's life and thoughts after Geralt's and Yennefer's deaths and she started traveling with Avallac'h. Follows the same plot that INF presents, but with the things that Avallac'h "failed" or didn't want to mention._

_This pairing will always be my OTP. There is no other life for me, but this ship._

_It's kind of like a love letter._

* * *

It was hard to put a pin straight to the point where it all had started. She figured someone else would have told the story differently, maybe not so harshly as she tended to view the world. Oh, she had sympathy for people. She cared. But with this whole thing that had happened, she admitted, she was being utterly selfish.

For her, it had begun on a very rainy evening.

They had been in a cave, where raindrops would force their way through stone, sand and rock, to lick their way over the roof and somehow find their way inside. Even if the rain was supposed to be outside. The steady beat of dripping water filled the small open space, and she thought there were no other sounds left in the world.

She sat across a hasty-made fire, but it didn't seem to warm her up fast enough. She was with the elf, but it was little more than being completely alone. He wasn't the comfiest attendant. She wondered if the rain would ever stop, but it fit her mood perfectly.

A hand on her shoulder. She didn't fight back. She kept still as he started to clean and wrap the somewhat deep cut in her forearm. She felt like all of this was just pointless. Let the end come already, she would embrace it. But the flashes of her parent's death had only recently started coming to her.

It had happened a long time ago, and she thought she had made her peace with it. Pushed it aside. She had watched the boat to slide away on the otherwise serene water. They were away, and no monster-hunting or universe-jumping could ever bring them back. They were gone.

And she just kept on living.

But being alive as she was, she had been found. Almost captured. The foresaid elf intervening had been a surprise to her, and she couldn't decide if it was a pleasant one. Probably. But from there on, there hadn't been anything else but running. From the moment she woke up, to the point she woke up again even if she didn't know she had fallen asleep. Her life wasn't living. It was being pushed and pulled and chased. It was so annoying, to be so scared. Helpless. On a mercy of others. Not for the first time that day, she hoped it would all stop. She could smell the faint scent of the elf as he busied himself with her arm. Unsurprisingly, he smelled like rain.

"I can't go on."

"You say that every night."

"No, Avallac'h, no, I…" She tried to steady her voice. "I really can't. Please. Just…" She shook her head.

"Zireael, stay still… Here you go."

She looked at the bandage that was placed on her left arm. It was neat work, as always with the elf. The wound still ached, but it held little interest for her. She thought about just lying down and never getting up. Let it come what shall. Maybe if she really tried, she could simply stop existing. He moved away.

She sat there, on a small but steady rock. Her greyish hair drippled over her face, and she pushed it aside. Ciri had no idea why he was there in the first place. She had gotten somewhat a shaky explanation, probably one he thought she would buy. She had, at first, but every hour that she saw him getting more exhausted, she began to question his motives. Why was he even doing this? Dragging her cross the universe, no, different universes. Throwing himself between her and supposed danger. Why he saw such a trouble for her now, when he hadn't before? There was no logic in this. But her exhaustion shielded her from doubt. She didn't have the strength to fear absolutely everyone. She wanted to trust him so badly. But still…

She was left inspecting the elf's back as he turned to keep the fire alive. The silence fell between them. Raindrops kept making that dripping sound, echoing in the cave. She thought that they should undoubtedly try to sleep. Time was precious.

"Zireael."

He sounded upset. Something was wrong.

"Yeah?"

He turned so slowly. She stood up with a little stagger in her cold, wet clothes, and eyed him. They had to leave. She was sure of it. There wasn't a place that was safe for her and if there was, it definitely was not a warm and dry one. But he didn't immediately start shouting orders to get down, hide, shield, get behind him or whatever. He looked at her as almost like… studying. She felt too aware of her wet hair and muddy appearance. But as he came closer, she noticed that for the first time, he looked somehow beaten.

"…Avallac'h?"

He came rather close. Besides rain, he smelled like mud. And a scent of… fine candles. A weird scent to have. But it was very Avallac'h, to smell like a scholar. What he studied was beyond her, at least when it needed such close quarters. She stared him back, her chest almost touching him.

He hugged her. It was so unexpected that for a moment, she just stood there. When he pulled his head back from her, he moved like in a spell. It was so slow. She knew what was going to happen and it very much startled her. And then it happened.

She was being kissed. A jolt shot up her spine. Kissed by Avallac'h of all the elves on this sphere. She understood why some people were so smitten with elves. This was, this was just... Maybe it was the heat of another body or the feeling of being held so protectively, she would never know what that strangling feeling in her stomach was. She couldn't feel her feet.

She had to admit. She had thought about it. The elf wasn't bad to look at. He actively tried to keep her safe. He had literally saved her against the wishes of his own people. None of that wasn't exactly a turnoff. Somehow being kissed by _him_ in this manner, made her hands shot up to grip his wrists.

Okay, she was in. She'll bite.

It felt like throwing herself at him, even if all she did was answer a kiss. To let him know she wanted the moment to prolong, if not else. And if he'd pull back now, somehow, she thought it would be her fault. That if this would go to hell, she would be the one to blame. Because apparently, she was the one getting in troubles and being saved and all that. He just kind of did what he pleased. But if he wanted it this way, their companionship, they could at least make the best of it. She wanted comfort, tenderness. Something to take a pause on life. She wanted to feel good. Yes, whatever the trap in this one was, she'll bite.

Once given permission seemed to be all he was waiting for. She had kissed her share of people, but he was, safe to say, different. He took control like it was his all along. It wasn't clumsy, it was serious and possessive. That if she would let him, this would go down. It was nothing she was used to. His hands on her sides triggered a mix of tickle and exhilaration, the kind of touch that was small but very hard not to acknowledge. His hands made their way under her shirt, to her stomach, and she was already willing to toss the damn thing. It was wet anyways. Her back hit the cave wall and she whined to the kiss, but the elf took little notice, if he even heard.

It was all a surreal blur to her.

In his time, the elf came to the same conclusion regarding her wet shirt. She had made a mission to be rid of his robe as fast as possible, and soon it lay forgotten on the stone floor.

Oh fuck.

The elf had made her incapable of thinking. She realised that usually for sex, there was the possibility of children. Something she should not risk at all given the current situation. She had been taught, in another life it felt, when it was a good time to get with a child and when she should not risk it. She should not be in great trouble if-

Oh no. She stopped, as the man kept kissing her chest.

"Wanting to make that elven-baby now, huh?" It felt surreal. She couldn't believe it. She was the stupidest woman alive.

He froze. His voice was like ice.

"This has nothing to do with it."

It was awkward. She found herself staring straight at him and braced herself for whatever it was to come. But he didn't move away. He stayed there. The moment creeped longer. She panicked. She couldn't lose him. Not now. She couldn't be alone here. No. No. _No._

"Forgive me." There was a lump in her throat. "Please. I didn't intent to hurt you."

Hurt him? He was not the one being hurt here. She almost shoved him away from her, but to her, it looked like he smirked. It was bizarre. But he moved those magnificent lips to her neck and the pleasure mixed with fear.

"You, my little Swallow, have already broken me."

She was not sure what he meant, but it must hold some truth in it. She had dragged him to the hell and back with her problems.

"But I think…"

She held her breath. He whispered into her skin.

"That in somehow… You also mend me."

She was confused, but his fingers were better at explaining than his words. Somehow this was too personal for him. But he was there. He was making her feel good. She didn't need the confirmations of love; she had had sex for less. And she really, really didn't want it to stop. She needed his kisses, touches, his weight on top of her. And those long fingers were very adept at opening her trousers.

He had gotten offended at the suggestion. And again, he had saved her.

Perhaps he genuinely cared.

Maybe there was a safe place for her after all.


End file.
